The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

SUP Surfing with Dolphins at Ponquogue

I've seen a shark on Long Island.  I've seen a whale breach, and I've seen a whole lot of seals.  But I'd never seen dolphins until today.  SUPping in messy 3-4 foot waves at Ponquogue I was paddling out when ten feet in front of me a dolphin crested riding a wave in.  I started to yell "Yeah!" when a second dolphin did the same.  I was thrilled.

I haven't SUPsurfed in 2+ years.   I did not catch a wave today.   But I'd have traded many waves for the dolphin experience!   Hope to catch some waves soon (and more dolphin sightings!)

On the water SUPping with the following usual suspects:  Peconic Jeff, Christian, Joe Nat, and George Pav SUPsailing.

ABK Clinics for Foiling, Wingfoiling, Windsurfing

Andy Brandt is at it on Long Island.   Here's the latest from ABK:

 

Wingfoil Clinic

September 16 Thursday Napeague Bay 1-6pm $250

 

Expect more WingFoil Clinic dates TBA

 

Windsurfing and Foiling camp

Tiana Bay September 24-26. 3 day Camp $495

 

Go to ABK Boardsports site to sign up!

Please Stop Driving Over My Gear!

This was a first.  And a second. in the municipal parking lot at South Jamesport (Scott's fave because it specifies "no permits required") Jan and I were rigging for moderate conditions...me a 5.4, her a 4.7.   Suddenly a car with two little old ladies drove through...through and right over my mast!  Jan said "did they just drive over your mast?"   As I said yes a SECOND car drove over my mast with the front tires, then stopped.  A smiling driver said "Are you Michael?"  And then "Did I just drive over your mast?"

"Yes and Yes" I replied.   I was meeting Dilay, previously unencountered LI windsurfer and moderator of the LI Active group on Facebook.

Back to my mast.  It had just been run over twice!   Or three times (or 1.5 depending on how you figure these things.). But there had been no telltale crack of damage or destruction.  Examining the mast it seemed fine.   This was due to the unusual surface of the parking lot, which is square stones with grass in between.  Through sheer luck my mast was only on top of grass, so between the soil giving and the mast deforming, t'warnt no damage.  Hurray.

So we sailed.  Jan and I had a couple moderately powered runs when Scott and the Wolf arrived.   I was on my cheater 109, but the last run turned out to be full powered so I grabbed my 93 instead.  Good call!  Soon Scott, the Wolf, Marty, then Dilay and finally Bruce were on the water as well, and for a couple hours we had proper 5.3 SJ conditions before it died.

A pair of reckless cabin cruiser captains crowded Dilay...not an issue we normally run into...and Jan interposed herself to keep the boats at bay.   Must look out for the rare idiot at the helm.

(photo:  my mast was happily lined up between the stones.)

 

 

Resort Sailing at SJ

I have a category for "Cold Weather Windsurfing" but I don't have one for when it's sunny, warm, and we're not in the Carib.   Could use one for yesterday's sesh!   Me Scott Pav the Wolf (plus Jon Ford to the rescue and Artie ever on the way) in sunny 4.7 conditions.  "This is a good direction for South Jamesport" Scott proclaimed, with the wind more southerly than we usually sail there (Mattituck is the more common choice.).  Scott arrived first and had a ripping 5.4 session before rigging down, as the Wolf and I put up 4.7's.  The day featured its share of foibles (it's windsurfing after all) including:

Me breaking a fin on the sunken jetty just west of the launch.

The Wolf getting caught up in currents, struggling with waterstarting until he finally landed way down the beach, to be picked up by Jonathan.

A seagull pecking on George Pav's sail until George had to charge to get the bird to leave.

Uni Dos Break

I've never had a uni break on me.   Always believed in the safety strap (prevent rig separation, emergency sail home) but had never actually needed it.

Sunday at Mecox with OG Puffin Steve (Peconic Puffin since 1993) conditions were marginal 6.3.   I launched first, and was mixing jibes when I could plane with tacks and helitacks when I could not.  Steve was still rigging on the beach when one of my heli's felt odd.  Was the boom loose?  I checked...no it was fine.  Found myself shlogging then looked down...what the heck was the base of the mast doing so far downwind of the mast track?

Ah.

So I shlogged gingerly back to the launch, where I showed Steve my severed tendon.  He looked at me...the reason he was taking so long to rig was that he'd found his own uni had split.   Never happened to him before either, and he'd been windsurfing since the 1980's (I started in '92).  Go figure!